The RealReal launches ReCollection line of upcycled fashion

The RealReal has always been devoted to giving new life to secondhand luxury fashion, and now the resale retailer has expanded on its mission. The company has teamed with eight luxury brands to launch a collaborative upcycled collection, transforming distressed or damaged clothing into new, one-of-a-kind luxury pieces.

Called ReCollection, The RealReal’s new upcycling program will allow the retailer the opportunity to connect consumers with items that previously would have been too damaged to sell. The pieces in the first edition of ReCollection were upcycled by L.A.-based circular fashion initiative Atelier & Repairs to create new pieces without any virgin fabrications for a zero-waste process.

The RealReal aims to keep luxury items in circulation. Prior to ReCollection, the company has worked towards this goal through reselling luxury goods and offering repair services to preserve apparel, accessories, fine jewelry and watches. Now through upcycling, The RealReal is able to extend the lifecycles of damaged items that may have been discarded if not altered.

Eight luxury designers work with The RealReal on upcycling program

ReCollection gives new life to more than 50 pieces from A-Cold-Wall, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Jacquemus, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney, Ulla Johnson and Zero + Maria Cornejo. The designers each donated items to be used in the collection. Each item has since been made into a one-of-a-kind piece that promotes the importance of creating an afterlife for clothing. The designers’ original work has been expanded upon in new ways that add new value and reduce the potential of waste.

“As a designer, I think it’s the biggest compliment for your designs to have an afterlife – to me, that is luxury,” Stella McCartney commented in a press release. “And I take it into consideration from the beginning of the process. The timelessness of the design, how it’s made, what materials are used to produce it – it is all part of our ethos at Stella McCartney. We invest a lot to make sure that our products are made to last rather than end up in a landfill.”

The RealReal’s founder and CEO added, “To have such a dynamic group of luxury brands join us for our first collection sends an incredibly powerful message about the importance of circularity and the opportunity we all have to support a more sustainable future for fashion. Our hope is that ReCollection will inspire people to think about the afterlife of what they own and embrace more conscious consumption.”

The upcycled pieces range from women’s and men’s ready-to-wear to accessories and quilts, made with American craftsmanship that inspired the collection. Prices range from 195 to 2,450 dollars with a portion of the proceeds donated to One Tree Planted to support global reforestation work.

Images: The RealReal